[OOOD - Breathing Space]

Out of our depth don't pretend to be anything they're not. This is a fun-lovin'

outdoor free-party kinda thing, with plenty of psychedelic excursions into the

mad world of the minds of these Oxford boys. Plus some lovely ambient feeling

in the latter tracks - keep smiling 'cause OOOD probably are (one problem -

the cd is self-produced and the copy I got is a bit glitchy.... anyone else

suffer the same ?) 8/10

bomble

[V/A - Floatation]

V/A - Floatation

 

 

Artist: Various

Title: Floatation

Label: Interchill

Date: 2001

 

Track listing:

 

01. 07'42" Neil Sparkes : Miramar

02. 07'58" Adham Shaikh : Sabadhi

03. 10'03" Ishq : Sol

04. 03'16" Mystical Sun : River Goddess

05. 04'35" Mere Mortals : Lyricism Of Symmetry

06. 07'36" Steve Roach : This Life

07. 07'31" Makyo : Clarity (Melting Snow Mix)

08. 06'28" Shpongle : Saudade (Part 2)

09. 05'27" Eat Static : Caveman

10. 04'27" Circular 1 : Drifting

 

Review:

 

What a fabulously calm, subtle and deep journey this cd is. I hope to get a

load more reviews of Interchill's stuff onto this site, but this is a good way

to start. This Canadian label's last compilation - Infinissence (highly

recommended also) - took a slightly electro flavour, where this sounds like it

grew out of well watered soil. Organic, fluid and soothing. These are artists

at the top of their field. The only newcomer to my musical experience is

Circular - and yet this is a very unpretentious and humble album. Shpongle

have been known to be a bit exuberant at times, but here lies one of the

softest tunes I have heard from them. Gio Makyo , who's earned a superb

reputation as kingpin of Dakini records, also delivers a touching and well

crafted specimen. At present my favourite tune is from Adam Shaikh (aka Drift,

member of Ekko & other Interchill projects) . The artists were asked to

picture themselves having a coconut-oil massage on a tropical beach, and that

just about captures the gist of what to expect here. It's not really

psychedelic - nor is it the icier sort of ambient that you might here from,

say, Biosphere, but this is warm and dreamy throughout. I would say that

something like Mana medicine (from Liquid Sound Design) represents a close

cousin of this sound - though this is quieter and the tracks are less

'standalone'.

The album is chimed in by Neil Sparkes with an ethnically rich introduction.

Then the delicious Adam Shaikh piece fills the emotional channels. Ishq turns

on the pure ambience with a beatless excursion (watch out for the Ishq album).

Mystical Sun follows in the same manner (good music can be made in America too

you know !! If you want to see the real river goddess that inspired this tune

have a look at: http://www.mysticalsun.com/images/daturawaterfall.jpg ). Mere

Mortals raise the alertness levels a little , and more soothing synths from

Mr Roach, but still no beats to interrupt your flight. Then comes Makyo's

treat to the senses. Being one of my favourite chillout artists, I am happy to

say that this doesn't disappoint. It's a really mature tune that doesn't sound

quite like Makyo I have heard before until the quintessential female vocal

lifts the soul in preparation for Shpongle. It's flutes at high noon from the

genre masters - as I said before more 'still' than a lot of the recent

Shpongle tracks; beatless but no less captivating. Eat Static have gone beyond

doing anything that surprises me ...but see if you can relate this tune to

what you might have heard on Science of the Gods !? Circular closes the lid to

this box of delights with a rich and synthy few minutes ending in some

atmospheric moments from the movie Alien - an 'ambient' classic in its own

right. I'd play any of the tunes in a really calm chillout set, but the whole

album is more than the sum of the parts and is best served whole. 8/10